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Thursday, November 20, 2008

The "No on Prop. 8" crowd believes in one-way tolerance and in demonizing anyone who does not stand with them, denying my right to the democratic process and unabashedly trampling on the rights of individuals, businesses and churches.

When I was helping with the campaign for "Yes on Prop. 8," those who would vote differently tried to assure me that there would be no pushing of the gay agenda in the schools, others' rights would be protected, churches wouldn't be forced to acknowledge gay marriages if they didn't choose to. These are people who just want love and peace.

Any questions about that now? I drove to attend my temple on Santa Monica Boulevard, and there were protesters with signs screaming for the church to lose its tax exemption, vicious attacks on my religion and lies about what the religion embraces. There was a white powder scare, closing the temple down for the day, and death threats on individuals involved with the campaign.

Their slogan is "Stop The Hate." There is some inconsistency here. The only hate I saw or heard came from that side of the debate.

I was raised in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and never once have I heard any encouragement to hate gays and lesbians. I don't speak for the Mormon Church, but I know for a fact what the leaders have stated and teach, and that is complete love and acceptance of all God's children even if we don't accept their choices. I don't mind that they want to have a different opinion, but the protests are out of control.

This community needs to take a look at the shameful behavior of those who threw water bottles, flipped off, called names.

I've heard that "Mormons are going to have to watch their backs." Did I mention property damage and vandalism to signs on both sides of the issue?

The answers aren't in Sacramento or Washington, D.C. How we treat each other when we disagree is what shows how ready we are to having lasting peace among ourselves.Katherine MackayAgoura Hills

1 comment:

This author hasn't got a clue why people have such animosity against the LDS church.

She speaks of "demonizing" Mormons who supported Prop8. The LDS church literally demonizes gays, saying they are second only to murderers.

She also mentions the "gay agenda". What is this exactly? Why do supposedly heterosexual people have such a fear that they might be converted to homosexuals? Here's a newsflash - gays have been trying to convert to heterosexual for as long as humans have been around. It doesn't work!

Perhaps it's because woefully ill-informed people like this author still believe that gay people make a conscious choice to be gay one day, and that it is just as easy for them to choose to be heterosexual again. Maybe that's why she is so afraid - she might accidentally choose to be a lesbian. Ridiculous.

This author claims Mormons offer "complete love and acceptance of all God's children". If that was the case you wouldn't have gay youth killing themselves on temple grounds and in huge numbers anywhere the Mormon culture is dominant.

Complete love and acceptance does not mean telling these gay youth that they chose to be almost as bad as murderers, that they can unchoose to be gay, that they must remain celibate for life or marry someone of a gender they are not attracted to and can never love entirely, that they can never marry who they love, can never sit in church with who they love, must pretend to be someone they are not (lie), and that they may be disowned by their family.

Mormonism has no acceptance whatsoever for gays, and gays have no time for Mormons. The difference was that gays allowed Mormons to marry and worship as they wish. They never demanded to be temple married or even civilly married in an LDS chapel. They just wanted the right to marry who they love- as consenting adults. Mormons force their own beliefs onto gays. Mormons have the agenda here. Mormons are the aggressors and they claim tax free status while they do it.